You just sent a wrong email, and you’re wrecking your nerves about how to unsend it before your recipient opens it.
Well, you’re in luck because our guide – how to unsend email in Gmail after an hour will walk you through the steps to unsend that wrong email.
How to Unsend email in Gmail after an Hour?
Here’s how to unsend an email in the desktop version of Gmail:
Open Gmail – you will be redirected to your Gmail inbox, but if you aren’t logged in, you will be asked to enter your email address and password.
If you’re not using the latest version of Gmail, enable the “undo send” feature in this way:
- Click on the icon that looks like a wheel.
- Click on the settings.
- In the General section, tap on the “Enable Undo Send”.
- Select the duration of time for which you can unsend an email from the “send cancellation period”
- Click on “Save Changes”.
Click on Compose, which is located on the upper-left side of the Gmail inbox.
Enter the subject line of your email and the recipient’s email address in the “To” box.
Type your email message in the main text box.
Click on send, the blue button on the end of the window and send your email.
Click on Undo. This prompt appears on the low-left side of the new Gmail while with the classic Gmail at the top of the page. You will have 5 seconds (new Gmail) or 10 seconds (classic Gmail) to unsend your message.
Now, you can make changes to your unsent email as it will reopen as a draft.
You can set the time before you can no longer recall an email. Here’s how to make changes in the set cancellation period:
- Click on
- Click Settings.
- Click the “Send cancellation period” located on the General tab.
- Select a time in seconds (e.g.20).
- Scroll down and click Save Changes.
How to Recall emails on iPhone?
As it was demonstrated above, you can unsend emails on the desktop version of Gmail. In addition, you can also go through the same process in the Gmail app for iPhone and iPad. However, recalling emails isn’t possible on Android devices. The good news is that Android users can turn on a setting that will prompt Gmail to confirm before sending an email.
Read more: How do I fix Gmail crash on Android?
Here are the steps that will help you to recall an email on an iPhone:
Open the Gmail app on your iPhone. It’s the icon that has the letter “M” on a white background. If you’re already logged in, your Gmail inbox will open. However, if you’re not logged in, you will have to enter your email address and password.
Tap on Compose. On iPhones, it’s the pencil icon in the lower-right corner of the screen, and a new email form will appear.
Type in your recipient’s email address in the “To” text box.
Type in the subject line in the “Subject” text box and compose the body text according to what you want to convey.
Send your email by clicking on the “Send” icon.
When you send your email, the option ‘UNDO’ will appear in your lower-left corner. Click on it within 5 seconds of sending the email.
Your email is now recalled, and you can edit and make changes.
Tips to Avoid the Need to Unsend Emails
Luckily, there are ways to unsend that wrong email. But to avoid finding yourself in a situation where you have to recall an email as soon as possible, you can take a few precautionary steps:
Don’t forget the attachment
When you forget to attach a document, you could lose a lot of time in your day and your nerves. For example, you have to send a guiding document using Zoom for meeting besides the invitation. But you forgot to attach the document, and now you have to send a follow-up email. So the point is double check your emails before you hit the send button.
Reply to everything that matters
If you have received a long email, you could slip one important question. Then you have to send a follow-up email answering it, or the other person has to send you another email asking the same question again. To not put yourself in such a situation, check all the questions and your answers thoroughly before sending an email.
Take your time to reply
If the email is not a priority, leave it on stand-by for some time and focus on more important tasks. When we do things in a rush, mistakes tend to happen. But don’t forget to get back to replying to that email. Set a reminder so that the email doesn’t remain in the inbox unreplied.
You might be interested in: How to Add Email To Safe Sender List- Gmail
Bottom Line
Sending a wrong email and having the “ups” moments is not a pleasant feeling. Fortunately, there are ways to unsend it on the desktop version of Gmail and the app on iPhones and iPad. Our guide, “how to unsend email in Gmail after an hour”, included step-by-step instructions for recalling an email. Of course, you can always dodge the ‘unsending’ situation by double-checking your emails before sending them.
1. How do I unsend an email in Gmail after 24 hours?
On Gmail, you can unsend your email by hitting the ‘unsend’ button within 6 seconds. Unless you make the send cancellation period a bit longer than the default six seconds.
2. Can I erase an email that I already sent?
You can’t erase an email that you have already sent. However, you can use the ‘unsend’ feature and edit the email. Read our guide to see how to unsend email in Gmail after an hour.